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Church tax

The church tax rate is about 9% of the individual income tax. Corporations do not have to pay church tax. Church taxes only have to be paid for the typical German church groups such as Catholics and Protestants. However, if you are a member of one of these groups you have to pay church tax. This is very unreasonable in most cases of foreign ownership, because people rather pay church tax to their church in their respective home country rather than in Germany. Due to church law, you are automatically a member of a Christian Church if you are baptized. If you want to avoid paying German church taxes, you need to go to the local court (with your passport) and tell them you do not want to be a member of the German church. They will charge you about EUR 30. It is very important to do this right away, because you have to pay the church tax partly for the year until this exit.

If only one of the spouses is a church member, it is even more inappropriate: Even if the one who is in church is not earning income, his/her spouse might have to pay church tax.

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